Boise Broncos best VA Tech Hokies with 1:09 left, 33-30

Washington, D.C. -  On a nationally televised game between No. 3 Boise State, a potential BCS buster, and perennial ACC power, No. 10 Virginia Tech, the Broncos charged out to a 17-0 lead in the first quarter, fell behind in the third, and came back to win a thrilling 33-30 battle with 1:09 remaining in the game.  Since many of you saw most of this action by now, I won't get into all the particulars, but what a way for Collegefootballfan.com to finish a trio of great college football games attended over the Labor Day weekend.  If not for an errant lateral on the final play of the Temple-Villanova game. the total margin of victory in all five games was merely five points. The winning scores were tallied with :03, :01, and 1:09 left in each game respectively.  We couldn't have hoped for anything better!  It sure beat watching 40-0 blow-outs of openers scheduled to bring in a weaker team for a warm-up just so the visitors can make a nice chunk of change to keep their programs alive.

    Part of the fun of this particular game was sitting with a Hokie fan, Dave, to my left, and a Boise fan, Cale, to my right.

I got game insights literally from both sides.  Dave was the more reserved of the two, but there were plenty of other Hokie fanatics around us.  It was a boisterous sell-out crowd of 85,687 at the home of the Washington Redskins clad mostly in orange and maroon interrupted by sections of Boise blue and orange.  Boise recovered a Hokie fumble on the second play form scrimmage and scored on Kyle Brotzman's 44-yard FG.  Then some reverse Beamer-ball took place when Austin Pettis  blocked VT's punt and recovered on the Hokie 12.  It was Pettis (6 catches, 73 yards, 2 TDs) on the receiving end of Kellen Moore's TD pass from the eight to make it 10-0.  After the next three and out for VT, BSU took over at their own 22 and drove the length of the field with TE Tommy Gallarda making a diving one-handed catch.  The play stood after a review. With a lead of 17-0, Boise looked to make this a blow-out. Through it all, Cale screamed  at the top of his lungs (aaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!!) throughout the period.  It irked one VT fan in front of us who said he was hurting his ears.  I figured it hurt Cale's throat even more.  They exchanged a few words, but that's as far as it got.  Cale had his wife and another couple with him to his right.  The other guy in the Boise blue was a pretty big boy - smart move on Cale's part.    VT totaled only six offensive yards in the first quarter.  Things changed in the second period.

    On the first series of the second period, Tyrod Taylor got the Hokies moving and hit Jeron Boykin (6 catches, 102 yards) , covered by Brandon Thompson all day,  with a 34-yard pass to get the Hokies to the one where Ryan Williams took it in to break the ice for VT, to make it 17-7 .  BSU settled for a 47-yard FG on the ensuing series to make it 20-7, scoring on each of its first four possessions.  Cale still claimed that Moore's passes were off .  He was missing definitely receivers, but I'll say he stands back in the pocket about as cool and calm as anyone I've seen.  Now down 20-7, the VT fans needed something to keep them in their seats for the second half. Their team drove to the 17, Chris Hazley came in to boot from the left hash-mark, but missed.  The Tech fans soured.  BSU started from their 20.  At the 28 though, RB Doug Martin fumbled the ball forward and Lyndell Gibson recovered on the 39.  The following Hokie touchdown drive finished on a beautifully executed run-pass option where Taylor drew in the defense on a rollout to his right to hit wide-open Williams near the goal line pylon from the 12 to close the score to 20-14 with :57 left in the half.  Cale got a little quieter now, especially when the Hokies used a time-out and when Moore misfired several times before the Hokies partially blocked a punt before the half ended.  Cale and Dave could both agree that we now had a game on our hands.

     This was our first game ever to FEDEX Field.  I followed the first signs off Arena Drive that said "$10 cash parking".  That fit my budget.  Where two roads came together, two "cash parking"  signs pointed in both directions.  I followed the sign that led to a lot for "Cash parking $35"!  False advertising!  Those bastards, I thought.  I made a u-turn in the middle of the street and found the legit $10 lot down the other road in a nice, clean, modern-looking, small industrial complex.  To my chagrin, and more for the people parked a few spaces away from me,  they found their  passenger side window smashed and broken into.  Some other fans stood by their car to keep an eye on it until they showed up.  Some electronic items were taken.  The victims called the cops.  I hate to say it, but lesson learned: one way or another, someone out there is always trying to rob you.  

     Moore's passing was still off in the third period, so bad at one point that he fumbled a pass backwards and VT recovered at the BSU 31.  Short runs and short completions put VT on the one and Ryan Williams swept around the right end untouched.  What seemed like an insurmountable 17-0 lead by the Broncos was now a 21-20 lead by the Hokies.  You could feel the momentum shifting before the half ended.  It was now in their favor.  Cale had to leave his seat for a while. He missed the momentum swing back suddenly.  Boise's DJ Harper ( 4 runs, 80 yards, 1 TD) found a big hole on the right side of the line on third and one and never looked back for a lightning-fast 71 yard TD run.  True Beamer ball showed up on the PAT as Brotzman's kick was knocked down.  BSU led again but only by six, 26-20.  Cale came back looking a little relieved and taking the good-natured and not so good natured taunts from Tech fans as he returned.  The next VT drive fizzled at the BSU 33, and Beamer decided to go for a FG on fourth and ten for a 50-yard attempt. PK Hazley came in.  Dave threw up his arms.  "What's he doing?" he said.  "He can't make this." Sure as shootin', the ball went waaaaaay wide right!  Wait a minute - flag!  Running into the kicker.  Five yards walked off against Boise.  On fourth and five, Taylor connected with Boykin who had Brandon Thompson beaten most of the day for a 28-yard touchdown pass.  I think Beamer had that plan in place all along when he brought Hazley in to kick ( from Dave's reaction, I figured he may have had an alternative plan in mind.  I really did under the circumstances. A penalty?  Why not?).  To extend the lead to three to offset a Boise FG, the Hokies went for two, but the pass fell incomplete to maintain the 27-26 lead.  I wondered if this would be another last second win like the ones seen Friday and Saturday, but that would be asking for too much.  The failed conversion probably killed OT possibilities.  Boise's chance to add three more failed when Brotzman missed from 30. Coming into the season, we felt that the BSU kicking game could cost them in a close game when three points are needed.  He's rarely put into that kind of situation.  Tech moved down field again as they continuously looked for Boykin in key spots against Thompson. At the 13, Hazley was in reach and booted it up from 33 to put the Hokies up by four, 30-26.  With 7:38 left, BSU would have to go the distance with a TD quickly to win this game.  They didn't and they punted.  Tech started to drive, but Boise used their remaining two time-outs effectively before the Hokies were forced to punt from their own 33.  BSU's Mitch Burroughs returned it the 48, but Hokie fans sighed in relief when a flag flew near a block close to the 20.  However, the refs huddled and reversed the call.  On the replay, I could see how the blocker may have caught the upper, inside shoulder pad of the defender.  Dave thought it was too close a call to reverse.  I didn't think Boise would keep the ball on the 48.  I was wrong!  With 1:47 and no TOs left, Kellen Moore had a chance to showcase his skills for the Heisman.  In 27 ticks, he completed three straight passes.  The refs aided on the third with a late hit out-of-bounds call that was inadvertent.  I've seen too many of those calls where the momentum of a defender causes contact with a receiver just crossing the line causes a ref to throw a flag.  It's one thing to protect receivers from any maliciousness, but it's another when both players still playing hard when they approach the sideline without any ill intent.  Boise set up on the VT 13.  Austin Pettis got open over the middle for Moore's TD strike two plays later and it was the Broncos with a 33-30 lead. Though he seemed off, Moore finished 23 of 38 for 215 yards and 3 TDs.  Thirty-one seconds remained, Dave, Cale and I agreed, however, that this crazy game may not be over.  I could see Boykin getting loose on Thompson and at least getting Tech into FG range.  Tech had one TO remaining, but three incompletes and a sack finished any threat left in the Hokies.  Dave and Cale shook hands impressed by each other's teams before departing.  I briefly relished seeing three great games in a row to start off this season.  The fanaticism, the intensity, the excitement, the competition, and the traditions are all reasons why I love going to these games!

Extra points: Now the question will be bantered about: Was this one quality win good enough to keep the Broncos in the quest for the national championship?  If you consider the coaches poll, of course not!  They will use every excuse to keep a non-BCS school out of the BCS.  As long as BCS teams remain undefeated, Boise will be on the out side looking in.  Get ready for Boise-TCU coming to a bowl game near you next January.

Cale confirmed a well-guarded Boise "secret" I heard.  They will be removing the blue turf soon because birds kill themselves diving into it thinking it's a lake.  We still want to get to a game up there to see a game played, but it won't be the same.  Cale says it's easy to get tix for most games.

Ryan Williams explosiveness was held in check all day by the BSU defensive front.  He scored on two short TD runs, but was held to 44 yards on 21 carries otherwise.